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Discipline Areas

Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the chemistry of living organisms and their vital processes. Members specialising in this research area include:

• A/Prof Peter Coyle (birth abnormalities, cognition, zinc nutrition, prenatal alcohol, prenatal infection)
• Dr Kirk Jensen (mRNA localisation, gene control, neuronal development)
• Dr Dan Peet (oxygen sensing, hypoxia, gene regulation, peptidyl hydroxylases)
• Prof Peter Rathjen (stem cells, ES cells, cell therapy, cell differentiation)
• Dr Murray Whitelaw (gene function, transcription factors)

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering is a discipline concerned with the development and manufacture of medical devices, diagnostic devices, drugs and other therapies. It is more concerned with biological, safety and regulatory issues than other forms of engineering. It may be defined as "The application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field".

• A/Prof Derek Abbott (EEG signalling, sleep disorders, T-ray imaging, VLSI)

Demography

Demography is broadly a branch of sociology that studies various characteristics of human populations. Members specialising in this research area include:

• Prof Graeme Hugo (international and internal migration, population and policy, rural and regional development)
• Dr Lareen Newman (fertility, family formation, reproductive politics, parenting cultures, social change in health)

Population Health

• Dr Diana Hetzel (socioeconomic determinants of health, health inequalities, health indicators, child abuse and neglect)

Dentistry

Very broadly, Dentistry is the branch of medicine dealing with the anatomy and development and diseases of the teeth. Members below also look at the social and population aspects of dental health.

• Dr Lisa Jamieson (indigenous adolescents, prospective cohort design, lifecourse methodology, dental disease experience, social and behavioural research)
• Dr Anne Sanders (social epidemiology, dental health inequalities, population oral health)
• Prof Gary Slade (oral epidemiology, public health, dental caries, quality of life)
• Prof John Spencer (cohort studies, oral health, intervention studies, community influence)

Economics & Commerce

In simple terms, economics is the study of the trade-offs involved when choosing between alternate sets of decisions. Health economics is concerned with the formal comparison of costs and consequences of health care. Members specialising in this research area include:

Accounting

• Dr Margaret Lightbody (women in management, nausea/vomiting in pregnancy)

Health Economics

• Dr Eran Binenbaum (research funding, institutional structures, commercialisation)

Education

Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgment and well-developed wisdom. Members specialising in this research area include:

Early Childhood

• Prof Barbara Comber (literacy, ethnography, collaborative action research, longitudinal case studies)
• Dr Susan Krieg (young children, social inclusion, participation and engagement)
• Dr Shirley Yates (quantative, children's psychosocial development, learning environments, mathematics education)

Medical

• A/Prof Jonathan Newbury (rural medical education, aboriginal health, paediatrics, recreational drug use)
• A/Prof Maree O'Keefe (child health and development, curriculum development, consumer participation, interview skills assessment)

Endocrinology

Endocrinology is the study of the structure and functions of the endocrine glands and the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the endocrine system. Members specialising in this research area include:

Developmental

• Dr Cathie Coulter (adrenal gland, steroidogenesis, glucocorticoid, fetus, cardiovascular system)
• Dr Kathryn Gatford (fetal growth, programming, growth hormone, insulin)
• Prof Howard Morris (vitamin D, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, bone, cancer)
• Prof Julie Owens (early origins of adult diabetes and obesity, placental and neonatal growth and metabolism, insulin like growth factors)
• A/Prof Jeff Schwartz (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, cardiovascular and renal system, fetal programming)

Molecular

• Prof Richard Ivell / Dr Ravinder Anand-Ivell (spermatogenesis, reproductive tissue differentiation, cryptorchidism, human implantation, regulation of steroidogenesis)

Metabolism

• Prof Peter Clifton (obesity, heart disease, lipids, nutrition)
• Prof Gary Wittert (obesity, appetite, androgens, aging, diabetes)

Epidemiology

Epidemiology is a discipline studying the incidence, distribution and control of disease in a population. Members specialising in this research area include:

Social

• A/Prof Peter Baghurst (public health and clinical outcomes of care, smoking, pregnancy outcome)
• Dr James Dollman (children's physical activity, body composition, fitness)
• Dr Lynne Giles (childhood growth, social relationships, healthy ageing)
• Dr Ming Li (overweight and obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders, maternal and children's health, biological pathway of health behaviours)
• Prof John Lynch (population health, evidence-based public health, early life interventions)
• A/Prof Vivienne Moore (women's health, child growth and development)
• Dr Kate Ridley (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, youth)
• Dr Anne Sanders (dental health inequalities, population oral health)
• Dr Lisa Smithers (fatty acids, development, vision, infants, clinical trials)
• Ms Emily Steele (relationship between precarious work and delayed childbearing)
• Dr Melissa Whitrow (social determinants of health, ethnicity and health, child and adolescent growth, respiratory health, cardiovascular health)

Reproductive

• A/Prof Michael Davies (fetal programming, social epidemiology)

Perinatal

• Prof Janet Hiller (public health, evaluation, health technology assessment, randomised controlled trials)

Oral

• Dr Lisa Jamieson (indigenous adolescents, prospective cohort design, lifecourse methodology, dental disease experience, social and behavioural research)
• Prof Gary Slade (public health, dental caries, quality of life)

Ethics

Ethics can be broadly defined as the philosophical study of moral values and rules. Members specialising in this research area include:

• A/Prof Annette Braunack-Mayer (primary care ethics, conflicts of interest, privacy and confidentiality, health technology assessment)
• Dr Matt Gaughwin (social ethics, theory of addiction)

Genetics

Genetics in simple terms is the study of the genetic composition, heredity, and variation of organisms. HDA members have expertise in clinical and research genetics using animal models and human data.

• Prof Eric Haan (clinical genetics, birth defects, genetic testing, epidemiology, gene mapping, cerebral palsy)
• Dr Simon Koblar (neurological development & disease)
• Dr Michael Lardelli (developmental genetics, zebrafish, disease modelling, embryo development, alzheimers disease, neuronal differentiation)
• A/Prof Robert Richards (human genetic disease, neural crest cells)

Immunology

Immunology is the study of all aspects of the immune system including its structure and function, disorders of the immune system, blood banking, immunisation and organ transplantation.

• Dr Claire Jessup (pancreatic islet transplantation, vascular biology, allorejection, beta cell function, apoptosis, gene therapy)
• Prof Heddy Zola (immunology, leukocyte biology, diagnostic and therapeutic targets)

Indigenous Health

HDA members aim to undertake research relating to the overall health and well-being status of native Australians. Members specialising in this research area include:

• Mrs Jennifer Caruso (history, impact on wellbeing of Indigenous communities/individuals)
• Dr Lisa Jamieson (indigenous adolescents, prospective cohort design, lifecourse methodology, dental disease experience, social and behavioural research)
• Dr Inge Kowanko (social and emotional wellbeing, holistic care, primary health care, mental health)
• A/Prof Jonathan Newbury (rural medical education, general aboriginal health, recreational drug use)
• Dr Susan Semple (indigenous traditional medicine, complementary medicine, ethnopharmacology, traditional knowledge)

Law

In general terms law is a rule or body of rules for conduct that are essential to or binding upon human society. HDA members involved in different forms of law impacting on healthy development include:

• Ms Laura Grenfell (human rights, women, transitional countries)
• Prof Ngaire Naffine (medical law, feminist/legal theory, legal status before birth)
• Ms Bernadette Richards (medical law, media law, negligence, medical consent)

Nutrition

Nutrition can be broadly defined as the study of what people eat and the effects of food on health. Members specialising in this research area include:

• Dr Grant Brinkworth (obesity, weight control, lifestyle disease, cardiovascular health, reproductive function)
• Prof Peter Clifton (obesity, heart disease, lipids, nutrition)
• Prof Lynne Cobiac (nutritional intakes and prevention of disease)
• A/Prof Gordon Howarth (probiotics, prebiotics, bioactive extracts, gastrointestinal health and disease, animal models)
• Prof Peter Howe (omega-3, phytoestrogens, polyphenols, endothelial function, blood pressure)
• Dr Anthea Magarey (child obesity, prevention, management, nutrition methodology)
• Dr Beverly Muhlhausler (programming, obesity, appetitie, energy balance, maternal nutrition)
• Dr Karen Murphy (nutrition, dairy, omega-3, cardiovascular disease)
• A/Prof Manny Noakes (high protein, low carbohydrate diets, poly cystic ovarian syndrome, treating obesity, reproductive health)
• Dr Cuong Tran (zinc nutrition, gastrointestinal infections and disorders, coeliac disease, helicobacter pylori, metallothionein)

Paediatric Nutrition

• Prof Robert Gibson (dietary fats, omega 3 fatty acids, preterm infants, term infants)
• A/Prof Maria Makrides (dietary fatty acids, iron, growth, development, randomised control trials)
• A/Prof Jane Scott (public health nutrition, epidemiology, health promotion, breastfeeding)
• Dr Lisa Smithers (fatty acids, development, vision, infants, clinical trials)

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide is the science and clinical practice of Human Reproductive Health. Members specialising in this research area have various sub-specialities within this discipline and are listed below:

Obstetrics

• Prof Caroline Crowther (evidence based care, maternal fetal medicine, multiple pregnancy, preterm birth, randomised control trials)
• Prof Gus Dekker (immunology and genetics of pre-eclampsia, prediction and prevention of adverse pregnancy outcome, maternal fetal medicine)
• Dr Denise Furness (nutrition, DNA damage, preeclampsia, IUGR, B-vitamins, homocysteine)
• Dr Nayana Parange (fetal echocardiography in high-risk pregnancies)
• A/Prof Claire Roberts (pregnancy, placenta, intra-uterine growth, fetus, cell invasion)
• Prof Jeffrey Robinson (early origins of adult diseases, clinical trials, cohort studies)

Reproductive Biology

• Mr Firas Albuz (improving effiiciency of oocyte maturation in vitro)
• Mr Hassan Bakos (male infertility, oxidative sperm DNA damage, pregnancy, metabolism, assisted reproductive technology)
• Dr Kylie Dunning (oocyte biology, oocyte developmental competence, lipid metabolism)
• Mr Tod Fullston (gamete and embryo biology, obesity, sperm, heritable, predisposition, epigenetic)
• Dr Rob Gilchrist (oocyte, in vitro maturation, follicle, ovary, embryo)
• Dr John Hayball (immunology and cell biology, immune tolerance, T cell immunity, antigen processing)
• Dr Nicolette Hodyl (fetal growth and development, neonatal immunology, placental function, pregnancy)
• Dr Melinda Jasper (reproductive immunology, endometrial receptivity, implantation, early pregnancy, tissue remodelling)
• Dr Karen Kind (embryonic environment, fetus, placenta)
• Dr Michelle Lane (embryo culture, oocyte maturation, developmental consequences)
• Prof Alastair MacLennan (cerebral palsy causation)
• Dr Megan Mitchell (ovary, oocyte, embryo development, nutritional cues)
• Prof Robert Norman (in vitro fertilisation, polycystic ovarian syndrome, reproduction)
• A/Prof Mark Nottle (female reproductive physiology, embryo culture, stem cells)
• A/Prof Sarah Robertson (immunology, early pregnancy, embryo and placental development, cytokines)
• Dr Rebecca Robker (ovarian cell biology, obesity, gene expression, gene targeted mouse models, immunology)
• Prof Ray Rodgers (ovary, follicle, extracellular matrix, signalling)
• Dr Darryl Russell (ovarian, oocyte and embryo development, cell signalling, tissue morphogenesis, oocyte maturation, endocrinology, reproductive cancer)
• Dr Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri (placenta, fetal growth, cytokine, molecular mechanisms, pregnancy complications)
• A/Prof Jeremy Thompson (conception, environment, embryo, development)
• Dr Kelton Tremellen (ovarian reserve, recurrent miscarriage, male infertility, related infertility)
• Dr Linda Wu (ovarian cell biology, obesity, female infertility, ovary, women's health)

Paediatrics

In simple terms, paediatrics is the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury in children. HDA members from sub-specialties of paediatrics are listed below:

• Dr Manya Angley (autism, psychotropics, aetiology, diagnosis, phenotyping)
• A/Prof Jenny Couper (diabetes - endothelial dysfunction, preclinical diabetes, type 1 diabetes)
• Prof Geoff Davidson (gastroenterology - gastro intestinal motility, diarrhoeal disease, non-invasive testing, novel foods, inflammatory bowel disease)
• Prof Eric Haan (human and clinical genetics - birth defects, genetic testing, epidemiology, gene mapping, cerebral palsy)
• Dr Cameron van den Heuvel (sleep disordered breathing, physiology, cognition, behaviour, body weight)
• A/Prof Irene Hudson (health informatics, biostatistics, systems modelling: agitation-sedation, cystic fibrosis, sleep research dynamics and SIDS)
• Dr David Parsons (airway, cystic fibrosis, gene therapy, lung, nose)
• Dr Pammi Raghavendra (paediatric disability, participation of children with disabilities in the community, quality of life, evidence-based practice, augmentative and alternative communication)
• Ms Kate Strohm (siblings of children with special needs, child health, psychology, families, disability)
• Ms Rebecca Taylor (child and adolescent health, children with disabilities, participation, time-use, asperger syndrome, computer based survey)
• Dr Grant Tomkinson (paediatric exercise, anthropometry, fitness, secular trends)
• Dr Cuong Tran (zinc nutrition, gastrointestinal infections and disorders, coeliac disease, helicobacter pylori, metallothionein)
• A/Prof Cory Xian (bone biology, mechanisms of bone growth, regulation of bone growth and bone mass accumulation, injury and repair - growth factors and stem cells, growth plate injury, cancer chemotherapy)
• Prof Heddy Zola (immunology, leukocyte biology, diagnostic and therapeutic targets)

Pharmacology

This discipline can be explained as the study of drugs and dietary supplements and their origin, nature, properties, and effects upon living organisms. Members specialising in this research area include:

Drug and Alcohol Research

• Prof Robert Ali (substitution therapy, drug withdrawal therapy, HIV)
• Dr Manya Angley (psychotropics, autism, phenotyping, aetiology, diagnosis)
• Dr Matt Gaughwin (social ethics, theory of addiction)
• Dr Sophie Pointer (illicit drugs, harm minimisation, drug driving, adolescent cannabis use)
• Dr Susan Semple (indigenous traditional medicine, complementary medicine, ethnopharmacology, traditional knowledge)
• Prof Jason White (tolerance and dependence, stimulants, opioids, treatment)

Physiology

Physiology can be broadly explained as the study of functions and processes in living things. Members specialising in this research area include:

Developmental

• A/Prof Pat Buckley (infant development, cortisol, SIDS, sleep, pharmacogenomics)
• Dr Cathie Coulter (adrenal gland, steroidogenesis, glucocorticoid, fetus, cardiovascular system)
• Dr Kathryn Gatford (fetal growth, programming, growth hormone, insulin)
• Prof Caroline McMillen (fetal origins of adult disease, parturition, fetal development, endocrine)
• Prof Howard Morris (vitamin D, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, bone, cancer)
• Dr Janna Morrison (fetal development, cardiovascular, sleep, respiration, cardiomyocyte)
• Prof Julie Owens (early origins of adult diabetes and obesity, placental and neonatal growth and metabolism, insulin like growth factors)
• Dr Julia Pitcher (neurophysiology, human motor control, corticospinal development, plasticity, motor learning)
• A/Prof Jeff Schwartz (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, cardiovascular and renal system, fetal programming)

Reproductive

• Prof David Armstrong (ovary, oocyte, gonadotrophic hormones, steroid hormones)
• A/Prof Dave Kennaway (circadian rhythms, fertility, fetal programming, hypothalamus, metabolism)
• Prof Richard Ivell / Dr Ravinder Anand-Ivell (spermatogenesis, reproductive tissue differentiation, cryptorchidism, human implantation, regulation of steroidogenesis)

Nutritional

• Dr Grant Brinkworth (obesity, weight control, lifestyle disease, cardiovascular health, reproductive function)

Politics

In simple terms, politics is the profession devoted to governing and to political affairs. Members specialising in this research area include:

• A/Prof Christine Beasley (conceptions of embodiment and health, social theory, gender, sexuality, ethics of the body)

Psychiatry & Psychology

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine concerned with the prevention, cause, and treatment of mental disorders. Members specialising in this research area include:

• Prof Michael Sawyer (child & adolescent psychiatry - mental health, epidemiology, population health, school based interventions)

Psychology is the study of behaviour and mental processes and how they are affected by physical and mental state as well as external environment. Members specialising in this research area include:

• Dr Fiona Arney (child protection, resilience, crosscultural parenting, child development)
• Dr Sarah Blunden (health psychology, paediatric sleep, effect of sleep on development, performance, behaviour)
• Dr Lisa Kettler (child clinical psychology - child psycho-pathology, child protection, treatment adherence)
• Dr Lauren Miller-Lewis (resilience, mental health, adversity, protective and risk factors, health risk behaviours)
• Dr Rachel Roberts (child clinical, neuropsychology, stressors, health, well-being, craniofacial anomalies, children)
• Prof Dorothy Scott (child protection, policy, prevention, child abuse and neglect)
• Dr Natalie Sinn (cognition, behaviour, development, nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids)
• Prof Phillip Slee (child and adolescent development, family, violence, well-being)
• Ms Kate Strohm (siblings of children with special needs, child health, psychology, families, disability)
• Prof Deborah Turnbull (public health & applied psychology - reproductive technology, maternity services, csection)
• Dr Shirley Yates (quantative, children's psychosocial development, learning environments, mathematics education)

Public Health

Public Health is a multi-disciplinary teaching and research department with particular strengths in public health policy, and occupational and environmental health. Members specialising in this research area include:

• A/Prof Peter Baghurst (public health and clinical outcomes of care, smoking, pregnancy outcome)
• Dr James Dollman (children's physical activity, body composition, fitness)
• Prof Janet Hiller (public health, evaluation, health technology assessment, randomised controlled trials)
• Dr Afzal Mahmood (health care utilisation, evaluation, PHC, reproductive health)
• Dr Melissa Whitrow (social determinants of health, ethnicity and health, child and adolescent growth, respiratory health, cardiovascular health)

Sociology

Can be broadly explained as a branch of science that studies society and the relationships of individual within a society. Members specialising in this research area include:

Gender studies

• A/Prof Margie Ripper (gender, embodiment, women's health and illness, reproductive policies)

Labour Studies

• Prof Barbara Pocock (work, family, employment, gender, well-being, households, consumption)

Nursing

• Dr Sheryl de Lacey (in vitro fertilisation, embryos, decision making, ethics, women's health)
• Dr Julian Grant (child and family health nursing, parenting, intercultural communication, cultural competency)

Cultural Demography

• Dr Lareen Newman (fertility, family formation, reproductive politics, parenting cultures, social change in health)

Non-Research Members